Pain dragged me back before consciousness fully returned. Not my pain. Kessler’s.
The realization surfaced first. Agony pulsed through my spine in brutal waves while pressure burned beneath my shoulder blades hard enough to steal breath from my lungs.
Except my body was unharmed. I knew that before I looked, Because somewhere underneath the pain, I could feel my own heartbeat separately.
My pulse stumbled violently. The awareness beneath my skin stirred immediately. Shared sensory pathways are active. I opened my eyes sharply.
White ceiling.
Dim lighting.
Medical equipment is humming softly nearby.
For one disoriented second, panic hit so hard I almost could not breathe. Hospital. Again. Another memory slammed into me instantly. Kessler was unconscious beside me while restraints loc
